The Thrill of Discovery: How Reelgood Helps Users Find Things They Actually Want to Watch
When it comes to deciding what to watch, so many people feel overwhelmed by choice before they even begin their decision journey that they often end up watching something they don’t want to. If time is our most valued resource, then that means that a lot of us are wasting a whole lot of time endlessly scrolling when we should be streaming.
At Reelgood, our product and design teams hate to waste time. In fact, it’s time that often inspires our work. However, not only do we hope to solve the problem of wasted time, but we also like to work on the impact of discoverability on user happiness.
What is discoverability?
Discoverability is the ability for users to find the content they’re interested in watching within a streaming platform easily. It’s a critical factor for the success of streaming platforms because it directly impacts user engagement and retention. Ultimately, if users are unable to find content that interests them, they are likely to become frustrated and leave the platform. It’s that simple.
Enhancing discoverability for user satisfaction
Streaming platforms use various techniques to enhance discoverability. These can be personalized recommendations based on user viewing history, content categorization, and search functionality. The more effectively a platform can help users find content that they might enjoy, the more likely they are to continue using the platform.
While using filters and recommendations can help define user searches, many users find their most recent tv series or movie from a great article or from having a conversation with a friend. That’s why Reelgood’s most recent app release includes not just enhancements to our search and browse experiences, but also news and articles feed from the entertainment industry’s most trusted publishers. That way users can get the latest and greatest recommendations from voices users trust all in one place.
We’ve also enhanced Reelgood’s in-app list-building tools. Now users can easily see and manage lists of loved, liked, and disliked titles to quickly share recent favorites – or avoid any major disappointments. It’s a small step towards our larger goal of bringing the social experience of finding what to watch into Reelgood.
When it comes to discoverability, the thrill of finding something users want to watch drives all of us. By effectively helping users find content that they enjoy, streaming platforms can increase user engagement and retention and help viewers spend their time the way they want to — watching something they actually enjoy.
